Jerry Garcia (L) and Doug Sahm.
Photo: Steve Hopson*
Let us travel back in time to Thanksgiving Day 1972 in Austin, Texas. The Grateful Dead were in town, having played for the twirlers and butterfly catchers at Municipal Auditorium the night before. They were scheduled to play Memorial Auditiorium in Dallas the following night, meaning they had a free day to bum smokes, eat turkey, and jam with friends.
But, not just any friends. Former Bay Area running buddy and roots music encyclopedia, Doug Sahm, was scarin’ up an old-fashioned hootenanny with consummate sideman, Leon Russell, and a bevy of Austin talent. Representing the Dead were Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia, who spent most of the night on pedal steel.
Convening at Armadillo World Headquarters (pictured below), the group wound their way through a cornucopia of R&B, early rock ‘n’ roll, honky-tonk, blues, bluegrass, and whatever other swingin’ morsels of Americana were left on the plate. Check out the setlist below and think about the versatility needed to credibly pull off those songs.
* FYI, if you’re ever in Austin, you can view the full-sized version of this Hopson pic at Threadgill’s South. You can find it, appropriately enough, in the main waiting area, facing the bar.
The ‘Dillo
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’m offering up the entirety of this fantastic archival recording, so come get you some! Be forewarned, the sound isn’t perfect. It’s a soundboard, so the vocals and kick drum are a little high and some instruments are a little low. There’s also some clicks and pops. Nevertheless, it’s still an impressive document of the best Turkey Day performance this side of The Last Waltz.
THANKSGIVING JAM SAMPLER
Doug Sahm and Friends – Wild Side Of Life [Hank Thompson]
Doug Sahm and Friends – Stormy Monday [T-Bone Walker]
Doug Sahm and Friends – Honky Tonkin’ > Dear John [Hank Williams]
DOWNLOAD FULL SET
Doug Sahm’s Thanksgiving Jam [Full Set] [269 MB]
EVENT
Doug Sahm, Leon Russell, Jerry Garcia and Friends
Thanksgiving Jam
Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX
November 23, 1972
SET ONE
01 High Heel Sneakers [Tommy Tucker]
02 Wild Side Of Life [Hank Thompson]
03 Swingin’ Doors [Merle Haggard]
04 Me & Bobby McGee [Kris Kristofferson/Janis Joplin]
05 Stormy Monday [T-Bone Walker]
06 That’s All Right (Mama) [Arthur Crudup/Elvis Presley]
07 Come On In My Kitchen [Robert Johnson]
08 T For Texas [Jimmie Rodgers]
09 Mr. Tambourine Man [Bob Dylan/Byrds]
10 (Is Anybody Goin’ To) San Antone [Charley Pride]
11 Sugarfoot Rag [Hank Garland]
12 I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry [Hank Williams]
13 Jambalaya [Hank Williams]
14 Today I Started Loving You Again [Merle Haggard]
15 Columbus Stockade Blues [Traditional]
16 Honky Tonkin’ > Dear John [Hank Williams]
SET TWO
01 Orange Blossom Special [Bill Monroe]
02 Kentucky Waltz [Bill Monroe]
03 Big Boss Man [Jimmy Reed]
04 Searchin’ [Coasters]
05 Those Lonely Lonely Nights [Earl King] > Shake A Hand [Faye Adams]
06 Hey Bo Diddley [Bo Diddley]
07 It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry [Bob Dylan]
08 A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall [Bob Dylan]
09 Wild Horses [Rolling Stones]
10 Slippin’ Into Christmas [Leon Russell]
11 Money Honey [Drifters/Elvis Presley]
12 Chug-A-Lug [Roger Miller]
13 Roll Over Beethoven [Chuck Berry] > Good Golly Miss Molly [Little Richard] > Roll Over Beethoven [Chuck Berry]
BAND
Doug Sahm – vocals, guitar
Leon Russell – vocals, piano, guitar (pictured left)
Jerry Garcia – vocals, guitar, pedal steel
Mary Egan (Greezy Wheels) – fiddle
Benny Thurman (13th Floor Elevators bassist) – fiddle
Phil Lesh – bass
^ Jerry Barnett (Shiva’s Headband) – drums
^ The drummer is often listed as Bill Kreutzmann from the Dead, but apparently he didn’t play. Here’s what I found on the interweb: “Though he was in attendance that evening, there is no verifiable evidence that Kreutzmann sat in with the band. When asked a few years ago, the owner of the Armadillo seemed to recall Bill feeling sick that night.”
This is great!!! Thanks!!
Thanks for sharing this rare gem,
Dave
Very kind of you. Much thanks.
Is this mp3?. Thanks.
Yessir, these are mp3s, including the zip file.
My first time to your blog — thanks to a Rising Storm link — and this wonderful bit of thanksgiving day magic fills the air. Thanks so much!
EPIC! I’ve been looking for this for a while..can’t wait to get home and download it.
did you get that image from the photo they have up at threadgils? I’ve been casing the joint for years figuring out how to steal it-I think my only hope is to hold the place up, take the photo and then lay low in nuevo laredo
This is a really good post. I love this Thanksgiving show. Do you have any idea of where I can get that Alvin Crow/Sahm performance you mentioned in a previous post?
Excellent blog.
I have been a Doug Sahm fan ever since I walked into the local pizza shop and heard Mendocino playing on the jukebox. I just stumbled on your blog but I will be back. Haven’t played your Wynn Stewart stuff yet but if you don’t have Big, Big Love get it. Ralph Mooney’s steel guitar solo is eerily similar to his solo on Waylon’s Rainy Day Woman
Agreed on the Wynn. So far I’ve stuck to the stuff he recorded with Clarence White, but anyone who loves old-school honky-tonk should pick up the Stewart comp, California Country: The Best Of The Challenge Masters. It has so many great songs, including Big Big Love, Playboy, and Wishful Thinking. And yes, you get plenty of Ralph Mooney in the mix. You can’t lose!
Hello LD!
I’m very interested in a copy of the zip-file. I have been looking for these mp3’s for years now! Can you please help me out?
Greetings
Jan
Armadillo photo by Steve Hopson, http://www.stevehopson.com
Usage requires attribution.
Steve, my apologies. I found that pic years ago sans attribution, so please don’t take offense at my unintentional thievery. I’ve added a note to the post along with a link to your website. Thanks for writing.
How do I get the download? Thanks, Jim
Hey man- just stumbled across your site last week while looking around for live Doug Sahm stuff and I am officially hooked on your blog- you have great taste in music. Thanks for sharing your love of music with the world. Also, check out my radio show- i think you'll dig it based on what i've read so far:
http://vinylsiding.podbean.com
facebook: “fans of vinyl siding”
would love to hear what you think-
keep rockin',
Doug aka “Johnny Sunshine”
Outstanding man! Thanks for making my Thanksgiving a bit brighter. good stuff.
Thanks A Load! I've had a partial set for years and never knew there was so much more. Now I'm gonna impress my friends. Happy Thanksgiving from Texas!
How about some more shows at the Dillo? thanx 4 this one!
incredible stuff.